Suicide in Scottish military veterans: a 30-year retrospective cohort study

Bergman, B.P., Mackay, D.F. , Smith, D.J. and Pell, J.P. (2017) Suicide in Scottish military veterans: a 30-year retrospective cohort study. Occupational Medicine, 67(5), pp. 350-355. (doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqx047) (PMID:28486642)

Abstract

Background: Although reassuring data on suicide risk in UK veterans of the 1982 Falklands conflict and 1991 Gulf conflict have been published, there have been few studies on long-term overall suicide risk in UK veterans. Aims: To examine the risk of suicide in a broad population-based cohort of veterans in Scotland, irrespect ive of length of service or exposure to conflict, in comparison with people having no record of military service. Methods: A retrospective 30-year cohort study of 56205 veterans born 1945–85 and 172741 matched non-veterans, using Cox proportional hazard models to compare the risk of suicide and fatal self-harm overall, by sex, birth cohort, length of service and year of recruitment. Results: There were 267 (0.48%) suicides in the veterans compared with 918 (0.53%) in non-veterans. The difference was not statistically significant overall [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.99; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.86–1.13]. The incidence was lower in younger veterans and higher in veterans aged over 40. Early service leavers were at non-significantly increased risk (adjusted HR 1.13; 95% CI 0.91–1.40) but only in the older age groups. Women veterans had a significantly higher risk of suicide than non-veteran women (adjusted HR 2.44; 95% CI 1.32–4.51, P < 0.01) and comparable risk to veteran men. Methods of suicide did not differ significantly between veterans and non-veterans, for either sex. Conclusions: The Scottish Veterans Health Study adds to the emerging body of evidence that there is no overall difference in long-term risk of suicide between veterans and non-veterans in the UK. However, female veterans merit further study.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Smith, Professor Daniel and Bergman, Dr Beverly and Mackay, Professor Daniel and Pell, Professor Jill
• Authors: Bergman, B.P., Mackay, D.F., Smith, D.J., and Pell, J.P.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > Mental Health and Wellbeing; College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > Public Health
• Journal Name: Occupational Medicine
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• ISSN: 0962-7480
• ISSN (Online): 1471-8405
• Published Online: 09 May 2017
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2017 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Occupational Medicine 37(5):350-355
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher